What SHOULD you yell to someone in an XC race?

I usually try to keep track of the teams I like and make it a point to tell the 5th man to goooooo!!!!

In the blur of competition, often the only thing that a person can hear and understand is his/her own name or (possibly) the name of his/her team (either a school name, or else a special team name like Big Blue, Wildcats, etc.).

So if you're trying to get information across, first get the runner's attention by calling her/his name or, if you don't know that, calling out the team name. It's good to

finish your cheer with the runner's/team's name, as well.

Very brief information is sometimes helpful: "Jim, you're fifth man, Jim!" or "Yorktown, go up and help her [a teammate that's only a few meters ahead], Yorktown!" But again, in the heat of battle the runner may not process much more than a name--and that by itself helps the runner: it's good to be reminded that there are people on your side. So "TJ, attaway, TJ!"--while completely generic--can be a genuine boost.

In general, avoid things like "looking good"--people shouldn't be focused on how they look--and "accentuate the positive" wherever possible. So something like "hold him off!" rather than "don't let that man by!"--you don't want your runner's brain even to entertain the *concept* of letting the man by.

For more specific guidance, it's often a matter of key words that have developed meaning through the course of pracctice--and if you're not involved in practices, it may be hard to say very much! For instance, yelling "relax" at a runner--if s/he hasn't specifically worked on relaxation techniques--may be counterproductive, causing her/him to be self-conscious and tighten up.

Same thing with "arms!": avoid it, unless you know that the runner has drilled a specific response to that. (My teams *had* done specific work for that, so calling "Eric, elbows, Eric!" in the homestraight could actually prompt improved form.) Curiously enough, just calling something like "Maia, great race, Maia!" when the runner is starting the last part of the race can sometimes help trigger a nice kick.

I know other coaches have done actual research into this, so I hope you get some good responses from them.

BTW, OP, I think the three examples you gave were all good.

You could have a conversation with your son and ask him what he thinks would be helpful.

... and even where on the course he'd like to see you. Hey may not care, but he may also surprise you and say something like - 1 mile to go is always the worst spot... it would help knowing you were going to be there.

i tend to avoid yelling someone's name if it's a case where runners tend to run against the same guys each week. you really don't want the guy ahead of you to know you are creeping up on him.

i was creeping up on a rival in a race one time and i saw someone on the side just about ready to yell my name and i looked at him like 'shssh'. he did, and i made a pass. a very memorable race.

"Good job"

"Yay"!

"Go (insert team name or name of runner here)"

A Skeptic wrote:

"Good job"

"Yay"!

"Go (insert team name or name of runner here)"

Have you ever heard anyone just yell "YAY" who was not special needs?

I usually yell out the times to everyone ex. "13:20, 21, 22" and yell out to every runner of every team something like, "Good job White River!" or "Keep it up Bellarmine!" depending on whether or not I can see their team or school name on their singlet.

"Hey blue jersey, your junks hanging out. Could you have a little modesty"

haha YO wrote:

A Skeptic wrote:

"Good job"

"Yay"!

"Go (insert team name or name of runner here)"

Have you ever heard anyone just yell "YAY" who was not special needs?

Yes.

Pass somebody, damnit!

Hey Fayettville-Man, you got this again!

Late in the race many runners are in cruise control and just holding their place. Our team talks about needing to "do something" to make a difference in the race and to not let the order of finish become inevitable. When I see a guy running matter-of-factly in the last mile I remind him that he needs to "do something".

That sounds ridiculous when I read it but it has become a mantra around the team. Do Something is taking control of the outcome of your race and I see our guys respond to this commitment.

You'd be so much faster if you weren't so fat.

"What are yuh doiiiiinnn??!?!"

"Yuh blowin it!!!!!!!!"

Me so HORNY !

Ol Yeller wrote:

Late in the race many runners are in cruise control and just holding their place. Our team talks about needing to "do something" to make a difference in the race and to not let the order of finish become inevitable. When I see a guy running matter-of-factly in the last mile I remind him that he needs to "do something".

That sounds ridiculous when I read it but it has become a mantra around the team. Do Something is taking control of the outcome of your race and I see our guys respond to this commitment.

We did this too, but we called it "brother-in-law": that unspoken agreement that we all just keep our places in the last km or so of a race.

So if we saw someone apparently "settling in," we'd yell, "No brother-in-law!" I'd imagine this could be rawther unsettling (or at least bemusing) to those not in the know, particularly when yelled during a women's race.